The Storm Rages On
by Rumbelleforever1999
Summary: New to town, on the stormiest day Storybrooke Maine has seen in years, Belle French steps foot into the notorious Mr. Gold's shop. From there, who knows what could happen. Will true love win out or will fate interfere? Rated M for future chapters
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first time writing fanfiction. Please feel free to comment.  
**

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Mr. Gold sat in the back of his shop doing paperwork whilst the storm raged on outside. It is one of the worst storms Storybrooke Maine has seen in years. He hears the little bell on his door jingle in the front of his shop.

"Who in the hell is out in this storm?" Mr. Gold grumbles to himself as he grabs his cane and slowly walks out front. Standing in front of his door is a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, long, auburn hair, and she was soaking wet and dripping water all over his floor. She looks up and gives him a nervous smile.

"I'm so sorry sir. I hope I'm not ruining your floor." She says and tries to hold her soaking wet clothes closer to herself so she doesn't get any more of his floor wet. Usually Mr. Gold does not tolerate anything sort of mischief in his shop. No touching any of his antiques unless you are buying it. No dragging dirt around. Standing in the doorway sopping wet is not excluded. For whatever reason, Mr. Gold did not want to kick this woman out of his shop.

"It's no matter." He says and puts both hands on his cane. "If you don't mind my asking, what were you doing out in this horrific storm?" Usually Mr. Gold doesn't give a damn what any of his customers are doing in their own lives, but for some reason he wanted to know more about this auburn haired beauty.

"Oh… Well I was on my way to get lunch. I'm new in town so I don't really know where everything is. I guess I misjudged how long the walk would be. So I thought I would only be out in the storm for a few minutes. I was wrong." She says with a little laugh. "But anyway. I saw the light in your shop was on and I needed to get out of that vicious storm. I'm so sorry about your floor." She says again and tucks some of her hair behind her ear.

"It really is no matter." He says and then notices her shivering a little. "Are you cold?"

"Oh… Umm..." The woman says not wanting to pester him anymore.

"Let me get you a towel." Mr. Gold says and walks in to the back of his shop. He looks around and finds a moderately sized towel and brings it out to her. "Here you go." "Thank you… Umm… I didn't quite catch your name sir." She says and wraps the towel around herself.

"I'm Mr. Gold." He says and offers her his right hand. "Belle. Belle French." She says and shakes his hand. Mr. Gold smiles at her name. "That is a beautiful name Ms. French." He says and walks behind the counter. Belle takes off her soaking wet jacket and puts it on the coat rack. Mr. Gold is mesmerized at the beautiful blue dress she is wearing with a small brown belt around her waist. He looks at her long, beautiful legs that look stunning with the reddish-brown heels she is wearing. She wraps the towel around herself again and looks around his shop.

"Like anything you see?" He asks with a slight smile on his face. "I love all of it." She says and runs her hand along the top of one of the cases. "As long as you're in here you might as well buy something." He says and shifts a little. "Oh I could never afford any of this stuff. I haven't got a job yet. And anyway, my rent is so high I can't go splurging on anything that I don't need." She says and Mr. Gold stiffens when she mentions rent.

"Where exactly do you live? If you don't mind my asking." He adds quickly so she doesn't get frightened from him. Belle smiles. "In building 5A, apartment number 14." She says not minding that he now knows where she lives. Mr. Gold makes a quick mental note to lower her rent since he practically owns the whole town.

Belle keeps looking around his shop and Mr. Gold gets more nervous the closer she gets to the counter he is standing behind. She smiles lightly at him and puts her hands on the counter.

"Thank you for the hospitality Mr. Gold but the storm seems to be letting up." She says and looks out the window. Mr. Gold hadn't even noticed the storm had stopped. "Indeed it has." He says and smiles a bit nervously at her.

"Well I am starving. I should be going. Will I see you around town Mr. Gold?" "Possibly." He says and she puts her coat back on. "Bye Mr. Gold. It was nice meeting you." She says with a smile and leaves, the little bell jingling when she shuts the door.

"Bye…" Mr. Gold says quietly after she has left. Mr. Gold picks up the towel she had used to dry itself and it smells like perfume and conditioner. He smiles and puts the towel on his desk and sits back down and tries to do paperwork, but he can't get Belle French off of his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**This is the second chapter in this series. I am not quite sure yet where I'll be going with this story but I hope whatever I decide on you guys like.**

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After Belle left Mr. Gold's shop she walked around town until she found Granny's diner. She went in and hung up her coat on the coat rack and then took a seat on one of the stools.

"Hello there." A chipper female voice says. Belle looks up and sees a tall brunette in standing on the other side of the counter.

"Hi." Belle says with a smile.

"I'm Ruby. What would you like to eat today?"

"Oh. I haven't looked at the menu yet. Can I have a minute?"

"Of course." Ruby says and leaves to go wait at another table. Belle picks up the menu and looks at all of the food the diner has to offer.

After a few minutes Ruby comes back. "Have you decided yet?"

"Yes," Belle says with a smile. "I'll have a hamburger and iced tea with a side of French fries."

"Coming right up." Ruby says and writes down her order and then leaves. Belle looks around at the cute diner and smiles at all of the patrons. Shortly after Ruby brings Belle her drink and food and Belle starts to eat. During the middle of her meal a redhead sits down next to her looking exhausted.

"Are you alright?" Belle asks and looks at the redhead.

"Oh. Me? Yeah. I'm fine. Just swam a few miles. I love swimming." The woman says and smiles at Belle. "I'm Ariel."

"Belle." She says with a smile. Ruby comes over and takes Ariel's order.

"So are you new in town? I don't believe I've seen you around before." Ariel says and takes a sip of water.

"I got here a week ago. I've been settling in to my apartment and trying to look for a job." Belle says and keeps eating.

"What kind of job are you looking for?" Ruby asks, listening to their conversation.

"Well I got my bachelor's degree in library science. So something of that nature would be nice. But anything that could pay the bills would be nice." She says and drinks some iced tea.

"There's been no one in the library for years. It's been shut down. I'm sure you could get a job there." Ariel says smiling.

"Yeah, but she would have to talk to the landlord." Ruby says and makes a face in disgust.

"Oh yeah…" Ariel says quietly.

"The landlord? What could be so bad about a landlord?" Belle asks confused.

"He's the most vicious man in the whole town. Probably the whole world. He practically owns the whole town. Even this diner." Ruby says and looks around the diner.

"What's so bad about him? I doubt any man could be evil." Belle says and looks at Ariel and Ruby.

"Mr. Gold is." Ariel says and drinks some more water.

"Mr. Gold? The one who owns the antique shop?" Belle asks.

"You know him?" Ruby asks.

"I stopped by his shop on the way here." Belle says and smiles. "He doesn't seem evil. He was really nice and sweet." Belle says and Ariel chokes on her water when Belle calls him sweet.

"Mr. Gold? Sweet?" Ruby asks and Belle rubs Ariel's back.

"Yeah. I got stuck in that storm and he was the only shop that was open. He gave me a towel to dry off with and was very pleasant company." Belle says with a smile on her face. Ruby and Ariel look at each other as if Belle was crazy.

"Well if you want that job at the library you'll have to talk to Mr. Gold again." Ruby says and wipes down the counter.

"Wait…" Belle says and she gasps and covers her mouth.

"What?" Ariel asks.

"You two said that Mr. Gold owns practically the whole town, right?" Ruby and Ariel nod their heads. "Well… When I was talking to Mr. Gold earlier I mentioned how my rent was pretty high…" Belle says quietly. Ruby and Ariel's eyes widen.

"Oh dear… Who knows Mr. Gold is going to do…" Ariel says. Ruby nods her head.

"Oh come on. I doubt because I mentioned my rent was a little high he is going to raise it drastically. He seems really sweet."

"Stop calling him sweet." Ariel says and finishes her water. Belle shrugs her shoulders and then finishes up eating.

"It was nice meeting both of you." Belle says and pays. "I hope I see you both around." Belle says and then leaves granny's diner. She walks home and then picks out the perfect outfit to wear to her meeting with Mr. Gold about the library job.


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is longer than my first two. I'm hoping for the rest of them to be as long as this one.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

* * *

The next day Belle woke up and showered and put on a blouse and skirt with heels to make herself look taller. After eating a healthy breakfast consisting of fruit and cereal she made her way to Mr. Gold's shop. She gets there and looks in the window, seeing Mr. Gold moving about his shop. She smiles and goes in, the little bell ringing above her head.

Mr. Gold heard the bell jingle but doesn't turn around. He likes making his customers wait, it makes them more desperate to pay more money so they can get out of there quicker.

"Mr. Gold?" He hears a sweet, Australian voice say. He recognizes the voice and turns around instantly.

"Ms. French. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you in here again?" He asks with a smile on his face. 'To what do I owe the pleasure?' He asks himself in his head, annoyed at this failed attempt to flirt with the beauty.

"Well, I heard that you own a lot of the land in this town." Belle starts saying. Mr. Gold grimaces to himself. He had hoped they could have gotten to know each other better before she found out.

"That is true, dearie. So what can I do for you?" He asks, hoping she doesn't mention the rent again.

"Well I need a job Mr. Gold. And I heard that the library is in need of someone's assistance." She says nervously and bites her lip. Mr. Gold feels a stir of something deep inside of himself when she bites her lip. He tries to keep his composure and shifts his weight off of his bad ankle.

"Ah. The library. No one has been in there for years. What makes you think you can handle the responsibility?" Belle smiles at the question and pulls out her resume and hands it to Mr. Gold.

"You can look at it yourself but I think it covers all of the necessary bases." Belle says, finding courage and stands up a bit straighter. Mr. Gold looks at the resume and smiles at all the things she's done.

"You're from Australia? Couldn't tell from the accent." Mr. Gold says jokingly but Belle looks at him confused. "It was a quip, dearie." He says and flips through it. "A bachelor's degree in library science, over hundreds of hours of volunteering in library's, working in a few different ones. I think you exceed the expectations that we need." He says and looks back up at her. Belle is smiling brightly and blushing a little too. Mr. Gold turns around and gets a little key out of a locked box and comes around the counter.

"The library is yours." He says and hands Belle the key. Belle's eyes widen.

"Seriously? No interview?" Belle asks shocked.

"It's quite a small town dearie. I doubt anyone is more qualified than you. How about I take you there just to show you the ropes?" Mr. Gold suggests. Belle smiles brightly.

"I would love that." Belle says and then chastises herself mentally. 'I would love that? Way to not come on strong.' Mr. Gold leads her out of his shop and locks it up. He starts leading her to the library and lets his curiosity get the better of him.

"So what made you choose our quaint little town to reside in?" He asks and looks at her. Belle bites her lip nervously and looks down. "Oh. I'm so sorry to intrude. I shouldn't have asked." He says feeling horrible.

"No… It's quite alright. I just haven't talked about it." She says and looks up at him and gives him a sad smile.

"Oh. Well don't feel like you have to tell me. No one confides in the town monster." He says with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

"What makes you think you're the town monster?" Belle asks.

"Well I just assumed that's what you've heard about me. If you knew I own most of the town whoever told you must have mentioned something about me. And I presume it wasn't a good thing." He says with a smile. Belle giggles a little.

"She wasn't very fond of you. I also made someone choke when I said you were sweet." Belle says whilst blushing. Mr. Gold's eyes widen and he tries to not stop dead in his tracks.

"Y-you called me sweet?" He asks shocked.

"Well yeah. You gave me a towel when I was sopping wet. You didn't kick me out even though I was ruining your floor. That doesn't seem like the actions of a monster." Belle says with a smile. Mr. Gold shakes his head and they get to the library.

"Here we are." He says changing the subject. Belle unlocks the door and they go in. Belle looks around in awe and runs her hand over the receptionists counter, collecting dust on her finger.

"It's not much, but it's our library." He says and turns on the light.

"I love it." Belle says, smiling brightly.

"Well I guess she's yours. There are a few upsides to owning the library." He says and Belle looks at him curiously. "You have your own apartment above the library, so you can be right above where you work. There are two entrances. One is from in here itself, but it locks so little kids aren't wandering in to your home. There's also a side entrance around the side. In case you don't want to go through the library. And since it is one building, the rent of the apartment and library is one, so it might be less expensive to live here than in a separate apartment. Plus the pay is really good. And you get lots of funds from the town." Mr. God says while smiling. Belle's smile grows bigger but then she frowns. "Something wrong?" He asks worried.

"Well… I signed a lease for the other apartment. I doubt I can get out of it a week later." Belle says and slightly chews on her lower lip.

"Ms. French, I am the landlord. I am sure we can work out a deal about your lease." Mr. Gold says with a smile and feels another stir of something deep inside of him when she chews on her lip again. Belle looks at him sheepishly.

"You would really do that for me?" Belle asks. Mr. Gold shrugs his shoulder but still has a smile on his face. Belle smiles in relief and hugs him.

"Oh thank you Mr. Gold!" She says excitedly. H gets a little taken aback by her hug but he timidly hugs her back. She pulls away quickly and fixes her blouse.

"Well then." Mr. Gold says and fixes his suit. "I'll leave you be Ms. French." He says and then slowly leaves the library. Belle smiles brightly and looks around the library.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

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One week later Belle had once again moved apartments and she was quite happy Mr. Gold had so willingly let her out of her lease. She had spent all of her time moving her things from one apartment to another and when she wasn't doing that she cleaning the library and getting it ready to be opened. Since that day Mr. Gold first showed her the library she hasn't seen him since, and Belle was surprised to be upset about that.

After a long morning working on the library Belle decides to go get lunch at Granny's. She locks up the library and walks to the diner. It was a beautiful day and Belle loved walking through town. She gets to the diner and goes in. To her delight she sees Mr. Gold sitting alone in a booth. She smiles and walks over to him.

"Mr. Gold, it's nice to see you again." She says happily.

Mr. Gold looks up, startled that anyone would interrupt him eating, but he recognizes the gorgeous accent immediately and tries to hide his smile.

"Ms. French, it's lovely to see you." He says and shifts a little in his seat.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Belle asks and gestures to the booth.

"Not at all." He says and stands up since he was raised on the terms that it is polite to rise when a lady sits down. After Belle gets situated on the other side of the booth Mr. Gold sits back down and sips his iced tea. "What brings you here for lunch?" He asks, trying to be polite.

"Well working on the library is no easy task, and this place has the best iced tea in town." Belle says with a smile.

"You drink iced tea? I don't know too many people your age that like iced tea." Mr. Gold says with a smile.

"My age? You think we're that far in difference of age?" Belle asks with a smile.

"Well I doubt I look like I'm 23." Mr. Gold says and chuckles a little.

"23? Mr. Gold, I'm not that young." Belle says with a giggle. He chuckles and drinks some more iced tea. Belle looks at Mr. Gold with a curious gleam in her eye.

"Something on your mind Ms. French?" Mr. Gold asks.

"Please. Call me Belle. Ms. French is so formal." Belle says and he slowly nods his head.

"Okay then, Belle." He says and smiles at the way her name sounds coming from his lips. "Is something on your mind?"

Belle smiles. "Yes. I can't keep calling you Mr. Gold." She says with a smile.

"You can't?" He asks shocked. No one ever wanted to be informal with Mr. Gold.

"Nope. So since you know my first name I believe I should know yours." Belle says in a matter-of-fact tone. Mr. Gold's eyes widen. No one ever wanted to know his first name. No one had the guts to ask him. He wonders where this goddess gets the nerve to ask him these kinds of questions.

"Well, I don't really fancy my first name, so you can just stick to Mr. Gold." He says and thankfully Ruby walks over. Her eyes widen when she sees Belle sitting with Mr. Gold.

"Excuse me, but are you ready to order Mr. Gold?" Ruby asks and gives Belle a look that says they need to talk.

"I believe I am. Are you Belle?" He asks and Belle nods her head. "I'll have a hamburger with a side of fries."

"I'll have what he's having, with the iced tea." Belle says with a smile and Ruby nods her head and leaves.

"Don't think you're getting off the hook about your name." Belle says with a giggle and Mr. Gold playfully grimaces.

"I'll tell you this, I'll give you the initial and if you can guess the right name in five tries I'll tell you." He says with a smirk.

"And what if I don't guess your name?" Belle asks, just for the fun of it.

"You let me take you out to dinner." Mr. Gold says, getting very cocky all of the sudden. Belle gets a little shocked but then smiles.

"Alright then, but what's my prize if I guess your first name?" She asks.

"Then you have the pleasure of being the only person in town who knows my name." Mr. Gold says with half a smirk on his face.

"Okay then." Belle says with a smile, loving a challenge.

"Do we have a deal?" He asks and offers her his hand.

"Yes we do." She says and shakes his hand. Ruby brings Belle her iced tea and her eyes widen.

"Umm Belle, do you mind if we have a word?" Ruby asks and motions her head to the back of the diner.

"Sure…" Belle says and gets up. "Please excuse me." She says and gets up and follows Ruby.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ruby asks in a loud whisper.

"What?" Belle asks confused.

"You just made a deal with Mr. Gold! No one does that and gets the better end of it." Ruby says worried.

"Rubes calm down." Belle says, using her nickname for Ruby. "It's a harmless deal."

"What's the deal then?" Ruby asks and crosses her arms.

"I'm going to get five chances to guess his first name. If I do, I get to know his first name. If I don't then he gets to take me to dinner." Belle says with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Take you to dinner?!" Ruby practically screams.

"Shush!" Belle says worried and looks out to see if Mr. Gold noticed. Thankfully he didn't and Belle looks at Ruby. "It's just one dinner. It won't kill me." Belle says and gives Ruby a reassuring smile and then walks back out to Mr. Gold.

"Sorry about that." She says and he stands up as she sits back down.

"It's no matter. Ms. Lucas isn't my biggest fan." He says and gets comfortable in his seat again. "Do you want to take your first guess at my name?" He asks with a smile. Belle looks him up and down.

"I need a little bit of time to think." She says and bites her lip. Mr. Gold stared at her lips and he feels that stirring of something deep inside him again.

After a few minutes their burgers and fries arrive and the talking stops while they eat. As Belle is finishing up she looks at Mr. Gold.

"Robert?" She asks and takes a sip of iced tea.

"Four chances left." He says with a smile and finishes his last fry. He stands up and pulls out his wallet. "Nice guess though." He says and puts a tip on the table and then pays for both of their meals. "I'll see you soon Misss- Belle." He says catching himself and then smiles slightly and leaves. Belle smiles to herself and slowly finishes her lunch.


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is a bit longer than the others but I really enjoyed writing this one. I hope you guys enjoy reading it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

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Another few days pass and when Belle gets a few spare moments of not moving in or getting the library ready for opening, she tries to figure out what Mr. Gold's first name is. After being properly moved in Ruby and Ariel show up at the library.

"Oh Belle!" Ruby says in a sing-song voice as she and Ariel walk in. Belle pokes her head out of one of the bookshelves and smiles.

"If you want to check out a book the library doesn't open for another two weeks." Belle says with a smile and walks out to them.

"We're not all bookworms like you Belle." Ruby says and Ariel giggles.

"Close up early. We're going out drinking tonight." Ariel says and Ruby hops up on to the counter.

"Guys I can't. I have to be ready to open in two weeks." Belle says and puts a few books down and shoos Ruby off of the counter.

"Yes you can. You need to get out more. You've been here for two weeks and haven't even gone on a date." Ruby says and Ariel nods her head.

"She's right. You need to get out more." Ariel says, backing up Ruby.

"I'm not looking to date anyone at the moment." Belle says and picks up the books and puts them on the book return cart.

"You don't have to date anyone. Just put on a sexy dress with nice heels and give the guys a bit of skin to ogle at. And if you get a little more on the tipsy side who knows, you could end up in bed with someone." Ruby says with a smirk. Belle's eyes widen.

"I am not having a one night stand." Belle says firmly.

"We aren't saying you have to have a one night stand." Ariel says and shoots a glare at Ruby. "Just have a girl's night out with us. You deserve it." Ariel says and rubs Belle's arm. Belle sighs and nods her head.

"Alright, I'll go." She says and Ruby cheers.

"Yay! Be ready at 8. I'll come pick you up then." Ruby says and she and Ariel leave.

"What did I get myself in to?..." Belle asks herself and sighs and gets back to fixing up the library.

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Around 7 o'clock Belle closes up the library and goes upstairs to shower and change. She puts on a tight black dress that comes down to her mid-thigh, with black stockings and three inch heels. She straightens her hair and then gets a small purse and puts her license, some cash, and her phone in there and then waits for Ruby to get her. After about 15 minutes Ruby pulls up in her car and Belle gets in.

"Where's Ariel?" Belle asks and puts her seatbelt on.

"She's going to meet us there." Ruby says and starts to drive to The Rabbit Hole. Once they get there Belle looks at the place questioningly.

"The Rabbit Hole?" She asks.

"It's the best bar in town." Ruby says and parks and they both get out. They go in and Ruby spots Ariel at the bar. She drags Belle over and they both sit down on opposite sides of Ariel.

"Hey you guys." She says and takes a sip of her drink. "You look stunning Belle." She says and Belle blushes.

"Thanks…" She says and the bartender comes over.

"What can I get you ladies?" He asks and gives a flirtatious smile. Ruby gives a flirty smile back and Belle smiles slightly.

"I'll have a cosmopolitan." Ruby says with a very flirty smile and the bartender smiles.

"And you?" He asks Belle.

"Umm…I'll have a margarita." Belle says with a slight smile. The bartender smiles and starts making both drinks.

"See any hot guys?" Ruby asks Ariel and looks around the bar. Ariel nods her head and points to a pretty tall guy with brown hair and green eyes. Belle looks and smiles.

"He's attractive. You should go talk to him." Belle says and nudges Ariel.

"You think so?" She asks sheepishly and takes another sip of her drink.

"Well he's not my type. But go for it." Ruby says and takes a sip of her cosmopolitan.

"Okay… I will." Ariel says and stands up and fixes her dress. "Wish me luck." She says and grabs her drink.

"Good luck." Belle and Ruby both says and Ariel walks over to the man.

"Now we need to find you someone." Ruby says and takes another sip of her drink. Belle just shakes her head and takes a small sip of her margarita.

"Excuse me, but would you like to dance?" A good looking African American guy asks Ruby. Ruby smiles but looks at Belle.

"Go on." She says and Ruby smiles and downs her drink and gets up and follows the guy. Belle sighs and takes another sip of her drink. She looks around and doesn't see anyone who she would be slightly interest in. She gets some cash out of her bag and goes to put it on the counter when a hand stops her.

"Let me." A deep voice says and Belle looks up at a handsome guy who is in good shape and has brown hair and brown eyes.

"Oh no, I can pay for it myself." Belle says and puts the money on the counter.

"Then let me buy you another drink." He says and looks at her glass. "After you finish your first drink of course." He says with a flirtatious smile.

"I was about to leave." Belle says and stands up.

"Just stay. Talk with me for a bit. I'm Gregory Gaston. But you can call me anything you like." He smiles and winks at Belle. Just the nature of sentence makes Belle want to vomit.

"I really should be going." Belle says and goes to move but Greg stands in front of her, blocking her path.

"I really think you should stay." He says, his eyes getting dark and his voice getting deeper. Belle gulps and tries to find a way past the man but he is taller than her and could easily overpower her.

"I believe the lady said she should be going." Another man's voice says. Greg turns around, ready to hurt whoever is interrupting him, but his eyes widen when he sees Mr. Gold.

"M-Mr. Gold… What are you doing here?" He asks and slowly moves out of Belle's way.

"I was just collecting the rent when I heard Miss French here struggling to leave. Is there going to be an issue I have to deal with Mr. Gaston? Like raising your rent?" He asks and rests both hands on his cane.

"N-no Mr. Gold. I was just leaving." Greg says and then quickly leaves. Belle looks at Mr. Gold in relief and looks down.

"Thank you." Belle says and grabs her purse and leaves the bar.

"Did he hurt you?" Mr. Gold asks following her.

"No. He was just flirting. No big deal." Belle says and starts to walk home.

"He was keeping you from leaving. You could press charges." Mr. Gold says and follows her.

"It was fine. Okay. I was handling myself, but thank you anyway. But I want to get home." Belle says and wraps her arms around herself since it's a little cold out and keeps walking.

"Did I do something wrong Belle?" Mr. Gold asks confused.

"You didn't have to threaten him. I'm sure you could have just talked things out." Belle says and keeps walking.

"He could have hurt you. I was protecting you." Mr. Gold says desperately.

"I don't need protecting." Belle says and gets to the library.

"I'm sorry Belle." He says and stops walking. Belle turns around to face him and sighs.

"It's alright… You were doing what you thought was best, Richard." She says with a slight smile. He shakes his head.

"Three guesses left. Goodnight Belle." He says with a smile.

"Goodnight Mr. Gold." Belle says with a smile and then goes in to her apartment.

* * *

 **Just in case you couldn't tell, Ariel went to talk to Eric and Ruby danced with Billy. Greg was Gaston but I believe that one was obvious.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I got a guest comment asking more about more of Belle and Mr. Gold's pasts. In chapter eight you will find out Belle's age and both of their backstories.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

* * *

The next two weeks pass and soon it is the opening of the new library. Belle worked hard to get it ready but she was excited to open the doors to the public. She puts on a red and black blouse with a light pink skirt and goes downstairs to the library. She turns on the lights, boots up the computer, and opens a few windows. At 8 o'clock sharp she unlocks the door and props it open. She doesn't expect a ton of people to come in but she hopes a few people come to check it out.

Around 9:30 Ariel comes in with that guy from the bar.

"Hi Belle!" She says excitedly and runs up to her and hugs her.

"Hi Ariel! Thank you for coming." She says happily and smiles at her friend. "And who is this?" Belle asks and looks at the man with a smile.

"I'm Eric. Ariel's boyfriend." He says and offers Belle his hand and she shakes it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Eric. I guess you're the one who has been taking up all of Ariel's time." Belle says with a smile, happy for her friend. Ariel blushes and wraps her arms around Eric's arm.

"We are going to take a look around." Ariel says with a smile.

"By all means." Belle says and goes behind the counter again and Eric and Ariel disappear in to the bookshelves.

After a while they both check out a book, both of them on sailing. Around lunchtime Ruby stops by with lunch.

"I've got food!" Ruby yells as she walks in.

"Ruby. Shh." Belle says, shushing Ruby. "We are in a library." She says and crosses her arms.

"Don't be a nag and accept the food." Ruby says and Belle slightly smiles and takes her in to the small office.

"We can eat in here." Belle says and sits down and pulls out the food. She starts to eat and Ruby smiles.

"Has anyone stopped by?" She asks and starts eating.

"Eric and Ariel did. They both got books on sailing." Belle says with a smile. "I didn't expect many people to stop by in the morning. People have work. I hope I get a bit more of a crowd in the afternoon." Belle says hopefully.

"I'm sure people will show up." Ruby says and smiles at Belle and keeps eating. They make idle chit chat while they eat but they both have to get back to work so Ruby leaves and Belle resumes reading her book and waiting for people to show up.

Around one o'clock a school teacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard, stops by with her fourth grade class.

"All of you can get two books that really interest you." She says and they all scurry in to the shelves, looking for books that interest them. "I'm sorry for just bringing them here. But the school doesn't have a library and now that there is a library I can do a reading assignment." The school teacher says apologetically.

"Oh it's no bother. I love kids. And getting them interested in reading is the best thing in the world. Plus, it's not like I'm super busy anyway." Belle says with a smile.

"Miss…" One little boy says and walks up to the counter.

"Yes?" Belle asks and smiles at him.

"I'm not sure where to find the books I like." He says and she smiles.

"Well I'll help you. You can call me Miss French." She says and walks out from behind the counter and leads him over to the books.

"I'm Henry." He says with a smile and Belle smiles at him.

"Well the books are sorted by the Dewey Decimal System and by author and genre. The easiest way to find books though is on this computer." Belle says and shows him a computer with a chair at it. "You just put in a subject or the name of a book and this computer shows you the options we have and the number that is on the spine of the book and you can find it." She tells him with a smile.

"Thank you Miss French." He says and sits down at the computer and starts to look for books. Belle smiles and goes back to the counter.

Once the kids find books they like Belle gives them a library card so they can check out more books in the future. Once everyone had gotten to books they all pile up at the door.

"What do you guys say to Miss French?" Mary Margaret asks.

"Thank you Miss French." They all say in unison and then they leave.

A few more people dawdle in during the day but Belle enjoys the day none the less. Around 5 o'clock Belle decides to close up the library. She goes outside and moves the doorstop as she hears a cane approaching. She looks up and sees Mr. Gold walking her way and smiles.

"Hello Mr. Gold." She says with a smile and he smiles back.

"Good evening Miss French. I was just coming by to see how opening day went." He says with a smile and stands in front of her.

"It was just fine. I had a good crowd come in." Belle says and leans against the door.

"That's good Miss French." He says and shifts the weight off of his bad foot.

"I told you to call me Belle." She says and pokes him in the chest.

"I guess I forgot. I'm quite sorry, Belle." He says and she giggles.

"It's alright, Ronald." She says and bites her lip. He stares at her lips and can feel himself getting aroused. He clears his throat and pushes aside those feelings.

"You're quite wrong dearie. Only two chances left. Use them wisely." He says with a smile.

"I'm going to guess your name." Belle says and stands up straighter.

"Are you really that confident?" He asks and takes a step closer to her.

"Yes I am." Belle says and realizes she is almost as tall as Mr. Gold.

"Well I am hoping you don't." He says and smirks.

"And why not?" She asks.

"Because I would love to take you to dinner." He says simply and then turns around. "Have a good evening Miss French." He says and she stares after him, even after he is out of sight.

* * *

 **Who wants Belle to guess his name right an who wants Mr. Gold to take Belle on a date? And what do you think his name is?**


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter is a bit shorter than the others but it definitely helps advance the plot. The next chapter will certainly be longer. I hope you are all enjoying my story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

* * *

Mr. Gold's pink house resided at the end of Elm Street, all the way at the end of town. He enjoyed the seclusion of it and it kept nosy neighbors away. In the mornings he always wakes up right at 6 o'clock and gets a shower. After dressing in one of impeccable suits he would slowly make his way downstairs and make his tea and toast. He would always read the morning paper while he sipped his tea and then he would get in his car and drive to his shop. He always opened right at 7 o'clock, even though he expected no one to be there. He goes in and turns on the light and usually does paperwork in the back of his shop. Today was a little different. Mr. Gold had to go and collect rent.

Once Mr. Gold got to his shop he decided he could walk instead of drive. He started on the path to Granny's diner and enjoyed the nice spring morning. He gets there and goes in. Since it is still early there aren't many patrons, but he does spot the auburn haired beauty sitting at the counter.

"I have the rent." Granny says as soon as she sees Mr. Gold and she heads in to the back. Belle turns around in her seat and smiles.

"Good morning Mr. Gold." She says cheerfully and takes a sip of her coffee.

"Good morning Miss French." He says and slowly makes his way over to her.

"What did I say about being so formal?" Belle asks with a giggle. Mr. Gold smiles and stands in front of her.

"I guess I keep forgetting." Mr. Gold says and a slight smile appears on his face. Granny comes back out with the money and hands it to Mr. Gold.

"It's all there." She says firmly and Mr. Gold takes it and puts the money in his pocket.

"I don't doubt there is a penny missing." He says and Granny bustles back in to the kitchen.

"Well I should be going. It was nice seeing you Miss- Belle." He says catching himself. Belle smiles and waves goodbye.

"It was nice seeing you too Roger." Belle says and Mr. Gold chuckles.

"Nice try Miss French," He says getting formal again. "But you only have one try left." He says and gives her a terse nod and then leaves. Belle goes back to sipping her coffee and takes another bite of her pancakes.

"One try left?" Ruby asks as she walks over and leans against the counter, opposite of Belle.

"To guess Mr. Gold's name." Belle says nonchalantly and takes another sip of coffee.

"And you aren't freaking out?! He will have to take you on a date!" Ruby says, practically yelling.

"Shh." Belle says, trying to calm down her friend. "It's not going to be the worst thing in the world if I go to dinner with him. It could be nice." She says and finishes up her breakfast.

"It could be nice? Dinner with Mr. Gold could be nice?" Ruby asks in disbelief.

"Yes. It could be. He's a nice man." Belle says and pays for her meal.

"Are you on drugs?" Ruby asks as Belle gets up. She opens the door and turns around and looks at Ruby.

"Only if you are." She says with a giggle and then leaves to go to the library.

* * *

Later that day, as Belle is shelving books she hears the soft tap of a cane enter the library. She smiles to herself and keeps shelving.

"Hello?" Mr. Gold asks and walks over to the shelves. Belle puts one final book away and walks out to meet him.

"Good afternoon Mr. Gold. It is lovely of you to stop by." Belle says with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I need a book called 'The Man Plan: A Guy's Guide to Planning the Perfect Date'." He says with a smile. Belle's eyes widen and she blushes.

"Do you really think you're going to win this bet?" Belle asks and looks the book up in the database.

"I'm quite confident that I will." He says with a smile and Belle giggles and finds the book on the database. She gets up and walks over to the shelves and looks for it.

"Well I hope that the book helps you plan a good date. I have high expectations." Belle says and gets the book and walks back to the counter and checks it out for Mr. Gold. "There you go, Russell." She says with a smile and hands it to him. He chuckles and slowly shakes his head.

"I'll pick you up at 7 o'clock sharp tomorrow night." He says and takes the book from her. "I'll let you know how you should dress. Bye Miss French." He says and then walks out of the library. Belle stands there for a moment and then smiles, excited for her date tomorrow night with Mr. Gold.

* * *

 **So what do you think will happen on their date?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here it is. Their first date. This chapter is a lot longer but I hope you guys enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

* * *

Around 3 o'clock the next day Mr. Gold had planned their whole date and headed to the library. Once he got there he went in.

"Miss French?" He asks and walks in. Belle comes out of the shelves and smiles.

"I thought I wasn't seeing you until 7 o'clock?" She asks and wipes some of the dust off of her hands.

"I just wanted to tell you that you should dress light tonight. For our date." He says with a smile. Belle smiles lightly.

"Alright then. I'll see you tonight." She says and he nods his head.

* * *

At 6 o'clock Belle closes up the library and goes up to her apartment. She showers and then puts on a white blouse with a gray shirt and stockings. She puts on black heels and then curls her hair. She puts money, her license, and her phone in her purse and waits for Mr. Gold to pick her up. Right at 7 o'clock there is a knock on her door. Belle smiles and answers it. There Mr. Gold is, dressed in a dark gray suit with a blue button up shirt and a gray tie. He smiles and quickly looks up and down her body.

"You look absolutely stunning." He says with a smile and Belle blushes.

"Thank you. And you look very… Well put together." Belle says and he chuckles.

"Thank you. Are you ready to go?" He asks and she nods her head. He moves out of her way and she leaves her apartment. They go to his car and he opens the door for her.

"What a gentleman. Thank you." Belle says with a giggle and gets in. He closes the door for her and gets in on his side.

"I'm always a gentleman." He says and starts the car. "I was thinking we could start our evening with a nice walk along the beach. Before it gets too dark."

"That sounds lovely." Belle says with a smile and he nods his head and drives to the beach. Once they get there he parks. They both get out an Belle looks out at the beach.

"Wow… The beach looks beautiful this time at night." Belle says and looks out at the ocean in awe. Mr. Gold smiles and leads her out to the beach.

"It will look even better when the sun sets." He says and gently puts his hand on the small of her back. Belle smiles and they start to walk along the beach.

"I think, since we are on a date, I deserve to know your name." Belle says and smiles at Mr. Gold. He chuckles and looks at her.

"You're never going to give up on that, aren't you?" He asks and Belle shakes her head.

"Nope." He chuckles and looks at the sand.

"It's a very old English name. So don't make fun of it." He says and looks out at the ocean.

"I would never make fun of your name." Belle says and smiles at him. He sighs and looks at Belle.

"It's Rumford." He says and she smiles brightly.

"Rumford Gold. That's a unique name. I like it." Belle says and he looks at her shocked.

"Really? You don't hate it?" Rumford asks in shock.

"No. It's very unique. What's it mean?" Belle asks and he chuckles and looks out at the sunset.

"It means wide river crossing." He says and laughs a bit more. Belle giggles.

"Wide river crossing? What's that supposed to mean?" Belle asks.

"I have no clue. But I have always resented my parents for naming me that." He says and they keep walking.

"It's not horrible. No one else has that name. I think it's a very powerful name." Belle says and rubs his arm. He smiles.

"I guess powerful is a good way to describe it." Rum says and Belle giggles. "What's so funny?" He asks and smiles at her.

"Well many people don't have the name Belle either, so I guess we are a good match if we both have unique names." Belle says and bites her lip nervously, hoping she isn't crossing a line.

"That's an interesting thing to think of." Rum says and smiles. "But I like it. It would make us a unique couple." He says and then his eyes widen and Belle blushes when he says couple. "Umm… I mean it would just be unique if we… Umm…" He says trying to think of the right thing to say.

"It would make us a unique couple." Belle says, hoping she doesn't freak Rum out some more using the word couple. Rum relaxes a little when she uses the word couple. Luckily the sun starts to set so they both go quiet and watch.

"It's such a cool thing to watch." Belle says as they walk back to his car.

"It is. Every sunset is different. I could watch sunsets for the rest of my life and I could die a happy man." He says and smiles. They get back to his car and both get in.

"So, Rumford." Belle says, liking the way his name sounds. "What else are we doing?" Belle asks and he smiles.

"Well I got us dinner reservations at Chez Rose." He says and starts the car.

"Chez Rose? That place is really expensive Rum." Belle says and he smiles at her nickname for him and starts to drive there.

"I know. It's the best place around. I wanted to give you the perfect first date." He says with a smile and keeps driving. Belle smiles at his comment and looks out the window. They soon get to the restaurant and Rum parks and they get out. They go in and walk up to the waitress.

"Reservation for two under Gold." He says and she gets two menus and leads them to an exclusive table.

"Wow Rum. This is wonderful." Belle says and he pulls her chair out for her and Belle sits down. "Thank you." She says and he sits down. The waitress hands them their menus.

"I'm Clarisse. I'll be your server today. I'll be back in a little bit to take your orders." She says and smiles at both of them and then leaves. Belle opens the menu and looks at the food.

"Oh my god… Everything is so expensive. I can't let you pay for this." Belle says and looks at Rum.

"I'm the one who asked you out Belle. I knew what the cost would be. I want to pay so order whatever you want." He says with a smile. Belle melts at his smile and slowly nods her head. "Do you want wine with dinner?" He asks and Belle smiles and nods her head. "Red or white?"

"Red." Belle says and looks at the menu. "The steak and baked potatoes looks good." She says and Rum looks at it.

"Yeah. It does. I think I'll get that." Rum says and Belle nods her head. A few minutes later Clarisse comes back.

"Are you ready to order?" She asks.

"Yes. You can order first Belle." Rum says with a smile.

"I'll have the steak, medium rare, with a baked potato." Belle says with a smile and closes the menu. Clarisse nods her head and looks at Rum.

"I'll have the same, medium rare as well for the steak and can we have a bottle of your finest red wine?" He asks and Clarisse nods her head.

"Sure thing." She says and takes their menus and then leaves.

"This place is so nice. I was hoping I could afford to come here at least once." Belle says and Rum smiles.

"I'm glad I was able to bring you here." He says and Belle smiles. "So tell me about yourself." Rum says and Belle smiles.

"Well, as you already know, I'm from Australia. I was raised there until I was 10. When my mom died my dad and I moved to the states." Belle says and their wine arrives. Rum pours them both a glass.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mom." He says and takes a small sip of wine.

"Oh its fine. It's been almost 15 years and I've come to peace with it." Belle says with a smile and drinks some wine. "Anyway, we lived in New York. I never really liked it. Too loud and crowded for me. My dad loved it however. I graduated at the top of my high school class. When I went to college it was my chance to leave the city and go somewhere a bit less crowded. I couldn't afford to go far so I went to Syracuse University. Once I graduated my dad and I weren't even on speaking terms. He's a very stubborn man. But I loved the way northern New York looked I decided to go even further north. And that's how I got here." Belle says and Rum smiles.

"That's a really interesting life. You must be exceptionally smart to graduate at the top of your class." He says and Belle blushes.

"Thank you Rum." She says and smiles. "Tell me more about yourself." She says and he grimaces a little.

"You don't want to hear about my life." He says and takes a sip of wine.

"Yes I do. I just told you my life story. I'm not asking for every detail." She says and gives him an almost flirtatious smile. He chuckles and slowly nods his head.

"Well I was born in Glasgow, Scotland. I was raised there. I never knew my mother. My dad abandoned me when I was eight." He says and Belle quietly 'aww's and pouts. "I stayed with my two aunts. They taught me how to spin. That's how I supported myself. When I was 20 I… Umm… I got this woman pregnant. Being the time it was we had to get married. She was a rotten woman. We had the most beautiful son however." He says and takes a sip of wine. "It made up for the rotten marriage. After about five years we got a divorce. She got to keep our son. I was heartbroken. For about three years I got to see him on weekends. And then she met this sailor and I didn't see either of them for ten years. Around three years of not hearing from them I left Scotland. I came here. Made some good investments. Made a lot of good choices. I made a lot of money and settled down here. On a business trip to Florida I ran in to my ex-wife. Apparently they had been living there with the sailor for years. My son had just graduated high school and I finally got to see him again. It was great. Since then I've seen him on occasion. He is a struggling artist, but he also works as a photographer. I don't get to see him as often but its better than never seeing him. And that's my story." He says and their food arrives. They both thank the waitress and Belle smiles.

"That's one heck of a life. I'm very happy you get to see your son. What's his name?" Belle asks and starts to eat.

"Baelfire. It's of old Celtic pagan origin. It means bonfire. I guess I like old unusual names." He says and starts to eat. Belle smiles and nods her head.

"So I guess your son is the same age as me?" Belle asks and Rum gets a little nervous.

"Umm, well he is 25. So if that's how old you are." He says and Belle nods her head. "Then you are the same age." He says and Belle giggles.

"That's interesting. So that would put you at 45. Correct?" Belle asks. He nervously nods his head. "Well Rum, you look very young for your age. And you still have hair. Unlike most men once they hit their forties." Belle says and he chuckles a little.

"Yeah. I can say I at least have my hair." He says and Belle giggles.

"Well I love your hair. It's looks very sexy." Belle says and bites her lip. Rum feels himself getting aroused at both her comment and her sexy lip bite. He clears his throat a little and smiles.

"Thank you." He says and then the conversation stops for a few minutes while they enjoy their food.

"This steak is delicious." Belle says and takes a sip of wine.

"It is. It's cooked perfectly." He says and after a few more minutes they both finish their food. "That was an exceptional meal." Rum says and wipes his mouth.

"It was. I'm stuffed." Belle says and giggles and finishes her glass of wine.

"I couldn't eat another bite. Are you sure you don't want dessert?" He asks and finishes his glass of wine as well.

"I wish I was hungry enough to try some." Belle says and sits up. Rum nods his head and the waitress walks by and he asks for the check. Once he's paid they leave and get back in to his car.

"Thank you for the wonderful evening Rum." Belle says with a smile and he starts the car and starts to drive her home.

"You're very welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it." He says and Belle smiles at him. They soon get back to her apartment.

"I hope we can do this again sometime." Rum says and parks the car.

"As do I." Belle says and he looks at her and looks in to her beautiful blue eyes. He smiles and slightly moves closer, well as close as he can in a car. Belle smiles and moves a little closer as well. He slightly tilts his head and closes the gap between their lips while closing his eyes. Belle smiles in to the kiss and closes her eyes as well and kisses him back with her lips that taste like wine. Rum slowly pulls away after a few moments slowly pulls away. He opens his eyes and smiles at the slight blush on Belle's cheeks. Belle blushes even more and smiles.

"That was nice." She says quietly and he nods his head. "I guess I'll see you around." Belle says and kisses his cheek. "Thank you for tonight." She says and opens her door.

"You're welcome. Goodnight." He says and she smiles.

"Goodnight." She says and then gets out of the car and waves. She walks over to her apartment and unlocks the door. She quickly turns around and waves at him. He waves back and then drives away. Belle goes in and closes her door and leans against. "Wow…" She says with a smile on her face and then goes up to her apartment.

Rum gets home and walks in the door. "Good job old man. You managed not to frighten her away." He says to himself with a smile on his face.

* * *

 **That was their first date. What did you guys think? Do you like Mr. Gold's name? What do you think of their backstories?**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so sorry for the long wait and the short chapter. I had a busy few days and a little bit of writer's block. The next chapter will definitely be longer. Please enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

* * *

As Belle walked into Granny's the next morning around noon a hush fell over everyone in the diner. They all looked at Belle in shock and then start whispering to each other. Belle looks around confused and then slowly sits down at the counter.

"Belle!" Ruby says and runs over.

"Hey Rubes. What's up with everyone this morning?" Belle asks.

"They're all just talking about how you aren't dead. Or how Gold doesn't have you tied to him by a dog leash." Ruby says and leans against the counter.

"It was just a date. It's not like we kidnapped the president." Belle says nonchalantly.

"Well I'm glad you're safe. How was the date?" Ruby asks a little worried.

"It was amazing." Belle says with a smile. "He picked me up from my apartment and then we went on this beautiful walk on the beach. We watched the most beautiful sunset and then he took me to Chez Rose. We had this amazing dinner and then he drove me home. And then we kissed." Belle says trying not to squeal.

"You what?!" Ruby asks trying not to yell.

"Ruby…" Belle says trying to make Ruby be quieter.

"You kissed him? Did he force you to kiss him?" Ruby asks and Belle blushes.

"Well he leaned in first and then I leaned in and it was just a magical kiss." Belle says with a smile and remembers the kiss.

"Well as long as he didn't force you…" Ruby says and looks down.

"I think I'm going to ask him out." Belle says quietly and Ruby's eyes widen.

"What?!" Ruby yells.

"Rubes… I enjoyed our date. I want to go out again." Belle says and looks at Ruby. "Look. I'm hungry. Can I get a burger and iced tea?" Belle asks and looks down. Ruby nods her head and goes in to the kitchen. Belle looks around and she sees some people stealing glances at her and then whispering to who they're eating with.

After Belle eats her lunch she leaves Granny's and starts walking to Mr. Gold's antique shop. As she approaches the shop she hears a lot of yelling. She looks in one of the windows and sees a tall woman in a grey business suit with almost jet black hair screaming at Mr. Gold. As she's about to open the door the woman comes storming out, almost running in to Belle.

"Oh. Miss French. Here to visit your boyfriend?" She asks with a smirk on her face.

"Umm… Do I know you?" Belle asks confused.

"I'm the Mayor, Miss Mills. People around here call me Madame Mayor. And your date last night with Mr. Gold is the town's latest gossip." She says and Belle is about to say something but she cuts her off. "It's a small town Miss French. News spreads quickly." She says and then shoulders past Belle and gets in her car and drives away. Belle watches her leave and then goes in to the shop.

"I told you Madame Mayor, the deal is null and void." An annoyed Mr. Gold says.

"She actually just left." Belle says and he turns around and a smile grows on his face.

"Belle. What can I do for you?" He asks and walks out from behind the counter.

"Well…" She says and walks up to him. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out again, maybe tomorrow night?" Belle asks with a smile.

"And what would this date entail?" He asks and walks a bit closer to her.

"Well since I asked you out this time I would be paying." Belle says with a smile.

"But as a gentleman I would pay."

"Nope. You're rules. So tomorrow night?" Belle asks and he nods his head.

"Sounds like fun." He says with a smile. Belle smiles brightly.

"Is there any way you could close your shop at five?" Belle asks with a shy smile.

"I think for you I could." He says with a smile and Belle hugs him.

"Great. I'll meet you outside your shop." She says and pulls away.

"I'll see you then." He says and she waves and then leaves.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm so sorry for not updating! I had a lot of writer's block and then I went to camp for a week. This is really short and I'm sorry but I'll put the rest of the chapter up this week because I leave on vacation in a week. I'm sorry this is short and may suck.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

* * *

Around four o'clock the next Belle closed up her shop and went up to her apartment. She got changed and then got together a picnic basket and a blanket and went to Granny's diner. She ordered two hamburgers and two iced teas.

"How about I pay for that?" A thick British accent asks and Belle turns around and sees a tall brown haired guy.

"Oh. It's fine." Belle says with a smile.

"Come on. That's a lot of food for one pretty girl. How about I share it with you?" He says and gives her a flirty smile. Belle giggles and blushes.

"Oh. This food is for my date." She says and Ruby hands her two iced teas to go and Belle puts them in the picnic basket.

"Oh. Well maybe another time." He says and kisses the back of her hand. Belle blushes and he leaves and Ruby smirks.

"Being wooed by the British guy? He's better than Mr. Gold." Ruby says and Belle rolls her eyes.

"Mr. Gold is very sweet and I'm looking forward to this date. I don't even know his name." Belle says.

"It's Will Scarlett. He took me out on a date few nights ago. He's not my type but he would be perfect for you." Ruby says and hands her the two hamburgers and fries. Belle puts them in the picnic basket and pays.

"I can't go on a date with him. I'm going out with Mr. Gold." Belle says.

"Are you two exclusive?" Ruby asks.

"Well… No…" Belle says and looks down.

"Then you can go on a date. I'll set it up." Ruby says and then Belle rolls her eyes and leaves.

Belle walks over to Mr. Gold's shop and gets there right as he locks up his shop. She smiles and stands behind him.

* * *

"Ready for our date?" Belle asks and Mr. Gold turns around and smiles.

"A picnic basket? Where is our date?" He asks and Belle starts to walk down town.

"You'll have to wait and see." She says with a giggle and they start walking towards the woods.

"So how was your day?" Rum asks and he takes the picnic basket from Belle.

"Oh you know. It was your average day at the library. I helped people and I shelved books. How was your day?" Belle says and leads them on a path in the woods.

"I'm glad you had a good day. Mine was the usual as well. I had people yelling at me and trying to get out of paying rent." He says a little annoyed and Belle giggles. "What's so funny?" He asks.

"You're so cute when you get a little annoyed." She says and pokes his nose.


	11. Chapter 11

**Once again I'm sorry for the super short chapter and lack of detail but I want to publish one more chapter before I leave for vacation. I'm not sure if we will be bringing the laptop so who knows if I will be updating. I plan on my next chapter being a lot longer.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

* * *

Rumford looks at Belle confused. "You think I'm cute?" He asks with a faint blushing creeping on to his cheeks. Belle giggles and nods her head.

"You have such a tough guy act it makes you cute." She says and blushes. He chuckles and they soon get this beautiful open area in the middle of the woods.

"Wow. It's beautiful here." Rumford says and looks around with a smile. "How did you find this place?" He asks and they put the picnic basket down and get out a blanket.

"Well like the first day I was here I was looking around town and I got a little lost and wandered around and found this place." She says and they start getting the food out of the basket.

"Is that a river?" Rumford asks as he hears the sound of water cascading over rocks. Belle nods her head and grabs his hand and leads him a few yards away to where there's a river.

"It leads in to a small lake of sorts. It's absolutely beautiful." Belle says while smiling brightly.

After a beautiful evening together in the woods Belle and Rumford walk back to town. He walks Belle back to her apartment and once there they share a sweet kiss. Belle bites her lip and rubs his chest lightly.

"I guess this is goodnight…" She says and he nods his head and kisses her forehead.

"Goodnight Belle." He says and kisses the back of Belle's hand before turning around and walking home. Belle watches him go until she can't even hear his cane anymore and then goes in to her apartment.

* * *

The next morning Belle wakes up and showers and then changes and goes to Granny's for breakfast.

"Hey Belle!" Ruby says happily and greets her at the door.

"Hey Rubes." Belle says and sits down at the counter and orders some tea.

"How was your date last night?" Ruby asks while pretending to work.

"Amazing. Rum- Mr. Gold was such a gentleman and he is such an amazing kisser." Belle says with a massive smile on her face and takes a sip of iced tea.

"Well I'm glad you had such a good time but I set you up with Will. You two are meeting here for lunch." Ruby says with a smile.

"Ruby… I'm dating Mr. Gold." Belle says with a sigh.

"But you two aren't exclusive. So be here at 12:30 for lunch." Ruby says and then her grandmother tells her to get back to work. Belle sighs and takes her iced tea and goes to the library.

* * *

 **I hope you all are looking forward to seeing what will happen on Will's and Belle's date.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay! I'm extremely happy with this chapter. I hope it gives you all some more information from earlier chapters that I didn't touch upon about Mr. Gold. I'm also very happy about the length and that I'm no longer writing really short chapters! Now a lot of you are questioning why Ruby set Belle up with Will even though she is dating Mr. Gold. This is how I am having Ruby think. Ruby grew up in Storybrooke and was always hearing about nasty Mr. Gold who is ruthless and hurts anyone who talks to him. Well Belle is her good friend and she wants to see her safe and happy. So Ruby wants her to know that there are other eligible bachelors in town and she has other options than Mr. Gold. She will come to respect their relationship, if their relationship continues. She does respect Belle and who she is dating but from Ruby's point of view she also wants to protect her friend. I hope you all can understand why Ruby did what she did! Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

* * *

At 12:20 that afternoon Belle closed up the library for the day and walked on over to Granny's. She got there a few minutes before 12:30 and went in. She sat down at the counter and waited nervously for Will to get there.

A few minutes later he walks in and sees Belle and smiles. He walks over to her and sits down next to her.

"I was thinking we could sit in a booth. It's a bit more comfy there." He says with a smile and Belle looks at him.

"I guess that sounds like a good idea." She says with a smile and stands up and straightens her skirt and Will leads them over to a booth. They each sit down on a side and a waitress comes over.

"Hi. I'm Rebecca. I'll be serving you two today. Do you know what you would like to order?" She asks and pulls out a pen and a pad of paper.

"I know. Do you Belle?" Will asks with a charming smile.

"Yes. Can I have a burger and iced tea?" Belle says.

"I'll have the lasagna and some water." Will says and Rebecca nods her head and then leaves.

"So, Belle, you're from Australia?" Will asks and Belle smiles.

"Yes. I am. I'm from Melbourne. I take it from your accent that you're from England." Belle says with a smile.

"That I am. But I moved here about a year ago." He says and their drinks arrive.

"May I ask why you moved here?" Belle asks and takes a sip of her iced tea.

"I wanted a change of scenery. Why did you move here?" Will asks.

"I guess the same reason. And I wanted to start anew." She says and Will nods his head. They chat for a while longer until their food arrives and they eat their lunch and have pleasant conversation. After they eat Will pays and they leave the diner.

"Would you like to go get ice cream?" Will asks with a smile and Belle nods her head.

"That sounds lovely." Belle says and Will leads here there. They get there and Belle looks at all the flavors.

"I don't know what flavor I want. They all look so good." Belle says.

"I recommend the salted caramel. It is delicious." Will says and soon they order. Belle gets the salted caramel and Will gets rocky road. They sit outside of the ice cream shop and eat their ice cream together.

* * *

Mr. Gold locks up his shop for the day since it is a Sunday and gets in his car and starts his drive home. As he's driving past the ice cream shop he looks over and sees two people laughing and having ice cream together. After a second looks he notices the woman is Belle and the man is Will Scarlett. He feels jealousy and anger rising up in his body and he takes a detour and drives to the Mayor's office. He gets there and parks and gets out of his car as the Mayor is walking to her car.

"Madame. Mayor." He says quietly and walks up behind her. She tries to act like he didn't startle her and she turns around.

"What are you doing here at this hour Mr. Gold?" She asks sounding annoyed.

"I want to talk to you about our deal." He says and rests both of his hands on his cane.

"What about it? Are you going to try and force me to give you more money again?" She asks.

"No. Actually the opposite." He says and her eyes widen.

"You're going to give me the money back?" She asks shocked.

"Yes. But only if you do me a favor." He says with a sly smile. She raises her eyebrow.

"And what is that?"

"I want you to send Will Scarlett out of town. On a business trip." He says.

"Will Scarlett? That handyman at the docks? Why do you need him to leave town?" She asks.

"No questions dearie. Just send him out of town and I'll give you the money back." He says and offers her his hand to shake. She slowly reaches her hand out and shakes his.

"Okay then Mr. Gold. You have deal." She says and he nods his head curtly and then goes back to his car smiling.

* * *

After their ice cream Will walks Belle back to her apartment.

"I had a wonderful afternoon with you Belle." He says as they get to her apartment. Belle smiles and nods her head.

"So did I Will. Thank you." She says. There's an awkward moment but then Will leans in for a kiss and Belle's eyes widen and at the last minute turns her head and he ends up kissing her cheek. Belle blushes and Will slowly pulls away.

"I guess I'll call you then." He says a little defeated and Belle nods her head and goes in to her apartment as Will slowly walks home.

* * *

 **There you go! That's their date! What did you guys think about it? Do you like what Mr. Gold did about Will? Please comment!**

 **ALSO! PLEASE READ!**

 **I am leaving in a few days for vacation and I won't be back until the middle of August. I am really sorry for the long wait and I will make sure to update a lot when I get back! I love you all!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! I'm back from vacation. I know this is a short chapter but I wanted to give you guys something to read. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters or plot. This is merely an idea I had and wanted to write out.**

* * *

Over the next week Mayor Mills made the plans for Will to leave town. During that week he called Belle and they talked over the phone a few times and planned another lunch "date". Belle closed up the library and as she turned around she saw Will walking towards her.

"I thought we were meeting at Granny's." Belle says with a smile and Will sadly shakes his head.

"I'm being transferred out of Storybrooke." He says solemnly and hands Belle a piece of paper. Belle reads it and she pouts.

"Oh… That's really sad. We were becoming good friends." Belle says sadly and hugs him. He hugs her back and kisses the top of her head.

"We can still talk over the phone."

"Will, you've been transferred to California. That's a three hour time difference."

"Oh…" He says and looks at his feet. "I guess I should get packing."

"Yeah…" Belle says and hugs him again. He takes in the smell of her shampoo and perfume before she pulls away.

"Bye Belle…"

"Bye Will." She says with a wave and he leaves and she pouts sadly and goes to Granny's for lunch.

Belle walked in to Granny's a few minutes after Mr. Gold and she looks around for somewhere to eat and sees Mr. Gold alone in a booth reading the newspaper. She walks over and slides in to the other side.

"Hello stranger." She says with a giggle and he looks up from his newspaper and smiles at her.

"Good afternoon Belle. What brings you here?" He asks and puts down the newspaper.

"Just my appetite." Belle says with a giggle and he chuckles.

"Would you like to join me for lunch?" He asks and Belle smiles brightly and nods her head.

"But we need to talk first." She says a little seriously and Mr. Gold stiffens.

"We do?" He asks a little nervous. "About what?"

"Us." Belle says and he gets even more nervous.

"Okay…" He says and shifts in his seat.

"So we've gone out on dates a few times in the past two months and we haven't really clarified if… Well… If we're together, like as a couple." She says and his eyes widen.

"Oh. Well. Umm… If you want us… To, you know… Call ourselves a couple… Then yeah…" He says tentatively and Belle smiles brightly.

"Seriously? You actually want to date me?" Belle asks will smiling.

"I want to date you? Why do you want to date me?" He asks even though he's smiling.

"Of course. You're so handsome and smart and the suits you wear are so sexy and make your butt look so cute-" Belle starts saying but then her eyes widen and she blushes immensely. Rum blushes at the comment.

"Well I guess if I have a cute butt that you adore I may as well let you date me." He says trying to lighten the mood and Belle giggles.

"So I guess we're dating then." Belle says with a squeal which attracts looks from some of the patrons and she looks down. "But are we exclusive?" She asks a little quietly.

"Exclusive?" Rum asks a little confused.

"Yeah. Like, we either are exclusive and we don't see other people or we aren't exclusive and we do see other people." Belle explains.

"Why would I want to see anyone other than you?" Rum still asks confused with the concept. Belle giggles a little.

"So you want to be exclusive?"

"Yes. But only if you're comfortable with it." He says and Belle nods her head.

"I would love to be exclusive." She says with a bright smile. They both enjoy their lunch date and plan to go out to dinner on Friday night.


End file.
